August 22, 2024 • 38 mins
Unlock the secrets to successful reinvention with our incredible guest Antionette Blake, a multi-award-winning Delaware blogger and social media strategist who transformed her career in her 60s.
Discover how she turned career setbacks into a thriving entrepreneurial venture and why embracing your unique strengths can lead to unparalleled success. Let Antionette's story inspire you to recognize your worth and seize new opportunities, no matter your age.
Antionette shares her journey from being laid off twice to becoming a full-time entrepreneur, detailing the pivotal moments that shaped her path. Learn how her passion for writing and connecting with women led to the creation of her first blog and eventually her successful business, A Blake Enterprises. Antionette's narrative is packed with actionable insights on overcoming fear, embracing change, and turning passion into profit—lessons that are particularly relevant for those navigating midlife career changes.
Get ready to be motivated by the concept of "owning your awesome" as we delve into strategies for uncovering your true potential and embracing your journey with enthusiasm. We'll explore the importance of self-care, mental wellness, and loving what you do. From practical ideas to inspiring anecdotes, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone looking to reinvent themselves and shine their light brightly in the world.
Mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Antoinette: https://linktr.ee/ablakeenterprises
Magic Mind: Invite in less stress and increased productivity with Magic Mind mental performance shots. Get a sample 3-pack for free! Go to https://magicmind.com/rebelstrial and use my code REBELSTRIAL at check out to score this deal.
Free Gift: Ready to explore what midlife reinvention looks like? Download my free gift, 100 Ways to Reinvent in Midlife to get started.
Loving the show? Text us and let us know! 😊
Kick your midlife fears and uncertainty to the curb and start your Reinvention Rebels journey today. Learn about my audio program, Midlife Reinvention From The Inside Out: 8 Essentials to Greenlight Your Life.
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Thanks for joining me, let's reinvent and get inspired together!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you do what you love and love what you do,
success is inevitable.
Now there'll be some ups andthere'll be downs, there'll be
tears and there'll be heartbreak, but just keep moving.
Don't let anybody stop you anddon't feel like you have to hide
your shine.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Welcome to Reinvention Rebels Stories of
brave and unapologetic women, 50to 90 years young, who have
boldly reinvented life on theirown terms to find new purpose
and possibilities.
I'm your host, wendy Battles.
I need to kick your fears tothe curb, do it scared and step
(00:49):
into who you are meant to be inmidlife and beyond.
These amazing women, thesereinvention rebels, can help
light your reinvention path.
Come join us and let's getinspired together.
Hey everybody, welcome toanother episode of the
(01:19):
Reinvention Rebels podcast.
I am your host, wendy.
I am so excited you are here.
If you are a newbie listener tothe podcast, welcome aboard.
This is the place to come forinformation and a ton of
inspiration about reinventingourselves in midlife and beyond
(01:40):
and what's possible, which ispretty much anything.
Okay, so I'm not going to be anOlympic athlete, so not that
kind of possibility, but prettymuch anything else is on the
table.
There are endless possibilitiesfor what we can do and be and
the ways we can step into thelight, take center stage and
(02:02):
play a starring role in midlifeand beyond in new and bold and
inspiring ways.
So if you are looking forinspiration, motivation, ideas,
the oomph to get moving, this isthe place to be, and I'm really
(02:23):
psyched that you're here Today.
I am talking to AntoinetteBlake and you're going to meet
her in just a couple of moments.
She started over in her 60s.
She's going to talk about howthat unfolded, what she did,
what she learned and somesuggestions for all of us about
how we can get into action evenwhen we're faced with
(02:47):
circumstances that are not whatwe want, but we have to move
forward in new ways.
So lots of inspiration abouthow we can all try these ideas
on for size and apply them inour own life, no matter where we
are in the reinvention cycle.
In this case, it's really allabout Antoinette's career and
what happened when she had adead end.
(03:09):
So I think you're going to findit really inspiring.
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(04:18):
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(05:18):
So let's get on with thisfantastic conversation with the
inspiring Antoinette Blake.
What happens when you're forcedout of your job, can't find
another one and decide to bet onyourself?
How do you successfullyreinvent yourself as a full-time
entrepreneur when it's onlybeen your side hustle, and how
do you shift your mindset tocharge what you deserve and know
your worth?
These are some of the questionswe'll be discussing with my
(05:38):
guest today, antoinette Blake.
At 62, this reinvention rebel,is living on purpose, having
reinvented herself in new,challenging and rewarding ways.
Many know Antoinette as themulti-award winning Delaware
blogger.
She is also a podcast host,vlogger, author, social media
(05:59):
strategist, educator, coach andprofessional speaker.
Strategist, educator, coach andprofessional speaker.
Antoinette is the contentcreator of the Dell Blogger blog
and hosts not one but twopodcasts.
Out and About with Antoinetteand the Delaware Blogger podcast
.
As the owner of A BlakeEnterprises social media
(06:21):
marketing and consulting, sheworks with industry leaders,
business owners andentrepreneurs, assisting them
with strategies to help thembroaden their brand and expand
their exposure online.
She is talented and oh sofabulous.
Antoinette Blake, welcome tothe Reinvention Rebels guest
(06:41):
chair.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Wendy, thank you so very much for sharing your
platform with not only me, butwith some fantabulous women on
your show.
I'm so excited to be here,thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I am so excited that you're here and before we delve
into your Reinvention Rebeljourney, I have to tell the
audience how we met.
It was very serendipitous thatback in September last fall, we
were together at an event forthe Great Dames Organization,
(07:16):
which is this really amazingorganization that is based in
the Philadelphia area, and youwere there for the book launch
because one of your good friendswas featured in the book, along
with me and many other amazingwomen, and we just connected and
it was so cool.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Do you know what's so exciting with social media?
You know we feel like we knoweach other, but when we
literally see each other inperson, the connection is
phenomenal.
It's like oh my God, I've beenfollowing person.
The connection is phenomenal.
It's like oh my God, I've beenfollowing you, now I meet you,
so we're all like rock stars,right?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
We are, we are.
And I remember that I wasalready following you on
LinkedIn and had actuallylistened to your podcast and
then I was like I kind of knowher but I don't, but now I
really do, so it was all kindsof exciting and then I also had
the pleasure of being on one ofyour amazing podcasts.
So I'm so happy that I canreturn the favor and we get the
(08:14):
benefit of hearing about yourreinvention journey, and I want
to start by talking a little bitabout that.
I know that we all reinvent fordifferent reasons and in
different ways, and yourparticular story, antoinette, is
really born out of necessity.
Can you tell us about thecircumstances that launched your
(08:37):
reinvention journey?
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Yes, Wendy, thank you .
Who would have ever thunk?
You know, after graduating fromDelaware State College at the
time, Delaware State Universitynow, I did a little time in
elementary school because Ireceived my BS degree in
elementary education, but themoney was terrible back in the
80s.
It's still that way now.
(09:00):
But I actually was hired by IBMwhile I was living in White
Plains, New York.
And, like I said, who wouldhave thunk?
You know, you go into a careeryou think you're going to stay
there forever.
You're going to leave, you'regoing to retire with the gold
watch, you know, pre-millennial,you know, we just figured.
(09:20):
But after not one layoff but twolayoffs, I was like, oh my gosh
, I've not interviewed for a jobin 32 years.
Like I'm 55.
What do I do?
And, Wendy, let me tell you, Iliterally applied for so many
positions using LinkedIn andusing contacts and I never got a
(09:46):
call back.
And one day I was like that'strying to tell me that I don't
need a job, I don't need to do anine to five.
But I didn't just say hey, putit in his hands and let it go.
I had to make some decisions.
We had to sell the bigMcMansion right, Because the
bills were too much, you know,we sold the house, we downsized
(10:08):
and I started back in 2012.
I actually started my first blog, which was DedevaDealscom, so I
was reinventing myself before Ieven got to.
So that was like the catalyst,because I loved writing as a
teacher, as an educator, and Ialso loved connecting with other
(10:29):
women.
And there were so many freeevents at that time in the state
of Delaware that I wouldliterally just go like early
Saturday, Friday, whatever,because I wasn't really, you
know, like the kids were, mysons were grown, my husband and
I had been married for like Ithink, almost 25, 30 years.
So I started going to eventsand I started blogging about
(10:49):
them and I was discovered Ialways use air quotes discovered
by a wonderful woman, Ronnie.
At the time, Ronnie Cohen wasthe executive director of the
DFLI, which is DelawareFinancial Literacy Institute,
director of the DFLI, which isDelaware Financial Literacy
(11:09):
Institute, and they presentedall kinds of courses, free
courses for people that werelooking to make some changes in
their lives, reinvent their life, and this was all free.
Like I said, this was the early2000s and Ronnie had read a blog
post that I had written abouttheir annual event and she was
blown away.
That was her words.
She was blown away, and, tomake the story longer than it
(11:30):
needs to be, I was discovered asa blogger and so I started and
I said you know what I got to dothis?
And she said do you want toteach others how to do it?
And when she said teach what?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You're like, yes, i's it, I do that.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
But I was still working.
But I, you know, I was doingthis out of love.
And one day, my friend I'llnever forget, she said
Antoinette, you've got to getpaid for this, you really do.
You're just giving awayinformation.
And I'm like you know what,lisa, I do.
So I left work early.
I had a three hour commute towork was so bad.
And I left work early and Iregistered a Blake Enterprises
(12:09):
and that was the cat.
That was 2015.
And so I took what I was doingand I started monetizing it,
whether it was blogging orteaching others how to blog,
because I started out doing itfree in local libraries and I
said okay.
And then when I, when thelayoff hit, I said you got to do
this in a way that you're goingto earn some money.
(12:31):
And I didn't know anythingabout social media at the time.
It was called the Facebook,anything about social media At
the time it was called theFacebook.
But I knew I loved working withwomen of a particular age who
had a business, like they've hadbusinesses, and they were used
to advertising on newspapers andmagazines and flyers.
And now social media had comein and just changed the game.
(12:54):
So I felt that if I could do.
If I could help them marketthemselves on social media
Facebook, instagram, whateverthe case was then I can make
some money and I can help them.
And so that was the beginningof Able Lake Enterprises, and
I'm still.
I started out with maybe one ortwo clients.
(13:15):
Now I'm looking here.
I'm like I can't take any moreclients.
I'm still teaching, I'mpodcasting and, thanks to you,
I'm going to drop a littlesecret to you today, because
when we met I love the wholeconcept, the reinvention rebels,
and I was like I did that withDEDVDealscom, fashion Inforthen
(13:35):
after 50.
I said I'm not competing withthe millennials and the Gen X, a
, b, c, y, z.
I am seasoned, so let me gearmy blog and my podcast to the
boomers and beyond.
So, thanks to you, 2024,.
I said I'm now going to shiv itand not try to be it for
(13:59):
everybody even though some ofthem are millennials.
But now my Saturday blog, theDelaware blog, where I teach
blogging.
It's going to be towardsboomers.
I love it.
Every Wednesday on my blog,delbloggercom, I have wellness
Wednesday, so I'm providinghealth and wellness things for
my boomers.
So thank you, wendy, for cominginto my life and having me say,
(14:23):
hey, you know what?
Because I can't compete.
You know, the kids need to beinfluencers if they just go to
the grocery store and drink asoda, right?
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Right, exactly, exactly.
But there's such an audience,though.
That's such a great idea, and Ithink it's so important, as an
entrepreneur just like yourself,that we really have this focus
and that we know who ouraudience is and when we can
narrow it down.
It's just easier to find themand connect with them, not to
mention people of a certain ageoften could probably use a
(14:50):
little more expertise, coaching,ideas about really leveraging
social media, as you're talkingabout.
So I love this, and part ofwhat I hear you talking about,
antoinette, is how you haveevolved in your reinvention
journey.
You didn't know all the answersat the beginning.
You had already started, butthen you took this leap of faith
(15:13):
when you got laid off, but evensince then, you've continued to
get clarity, to refine, tobuild new skills, to get clear
about your audience, and I thinkso much of that is a part of us
evolving that we can have areinvention, basically, as
you're saying, within areinvention, as we get clearer
(15:37):
about things.
I know that when we had ourlittle pre-interview chat, we
were talking about this idea ofdoing a side hustle and turning
it into a full-time gig, and I'mreally curious about what has
been the biggest lesson thatyou've learned about what it
takes to reinvent yourself anddo it in a way where you feel
(16:00):
like you are charging your ownworth, what you've identified as
your worth, because I think wecan easily lowball ourselves.
It's so easy to do that.
So how have you been able tomake that shift and do that in
your business?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Wendy, I have not.
I don't want to say I wish Ihad of, but, as we both know,
delaware is a unique state.
You're either in the clique oryou're not right.
I've never been a follower,I've never been like I need to
be a part of my legacy, thelegacy that I leave.
(16:39):
That dash in between it's goingto be greater than the money
that I've ever received orcharged.
Yes, I could probably charge alot more, but then two things
they would expect more and I'mnot looking to be busting myself
all day, every day, and myclients are the ones that need
(17:04):
my assistance.
They don't have the marketingbudget and I'm not doing this
for the money anymore.
My husband is now retired fullpension.
You know social security.
I'm retired social security.
So, if most of the people thatknow social security, when they
add up your numbers, you canonly make a certain amount right
(17:24):
, and you can go above that.
So I have, or I should have,charged more and taken less
clients and I used to cry aboutit Like I can, I can and as a
woman, we like, oh, we can'tovercharge, but when I lay head
to pillow, wendy, I do it with aclean conscious.
I'm happy with what I'm charging.
(17:45):
Is it a lot?
No, but I'm doing something forothers that is helping them in
the long run, and then my legacywill be one.
You know Antoinette reallystepped in and you know she
really helped me out and youknow she didn't charge me a
whole lot and I'm comfortable.
But for those that are youngeror are just starting out in
(18:07):
entrepreneurship or they're justreinventing themselves, what
you said is charge your worth,ask for more and take less
clients.
If that works for you, for meI'm still very comfortable in
what I charge.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I like how you've been able to identify that your
mission is to be of service toothers and that you lead with
that as your legacy.
And then you also figured itout.
You said it's really not asimportant as that satisfaction I
get from seeing people shine,from seeing my clients really
(18:42):
hit a home run, and I think thatthat's so much of our evolution
.
I know, back in the day we'relike I need more money, I need
more money.
And then you get to a certainpoint and you're like that's not
as important as other things,and so I appreciate that.
But I think you're right we justdon't often value ourselves
enough.
We're afraid to ask for more,whether it's at a job that we're
(19:03):
offered and negotiating, or webreak it on our own and we're
trying to figure it out.
So it takes some doing, I think, to kind of decide yes, I'm
worth it.
So what do you think is reallykey to people developing that
mindset, that mindset of being areinvention rebel where I'm
worth it.
So what do you think is reallykey to people developing that
mindset, that mindset of being areinvention rebel, where I'm
going to kind of go for it andfollow my dreams and trust that
(19:26):
it's going to work out.
Do you have any sage advice forour listeners who are thinking?
You know, I hear Antoinette'sstory.
I love how things unfolded forher and she found her path.
I'm not sure what mine is yet.
How can I develop my mindset?
What would you say to that?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
That's a really, really good question, Wendy,
because in today's environment,especially with social media, we
can have the attention spanthat less of a goldfish.
So we're jumping from here tohere, to here to here and the
term passion.
You know we throw that around,but that is what's going to wake
you up every morning and putyou to sleep every night.
(20:05):
I do not.
I truly do not believe that.
God put us on this earth towork hard for years, and years
and years and then die.
I saw that at IBM.
I saw that in corporate Americaexecutives working 30, 40 years
.
Sometimes you'd come into theoffice the next day and they
were slumped over their deskbecause they had a heart attack
and died.
That was the reality then.
(20:26):
I love the generation now.
They know that they needself-care, they need mental
wellness, they need to take careof themselves, because you know
what that job's going to befilled.
So, to answer your question,most of us who are reinventing
ourselves has done something foran extended period of time.
(20:47):
We can pivot or shiv it.
You know you love to talk, Ilove to talk.
Podcasting is a perfect mediumfor us, right?
Yes?
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yes, it is, you know it yes.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
So if you want to start a podcast, if you want to
start a blog, if you want tohelp others you know, I know if
you've got bills, you want tomake sure you get paid, but what
is that that you've alwayswanted to do?
Can you make that work foryourself?
Yes, you can.
I just think that we're allunique.
(21:21):
We can do the same job.
You can be a podcaster, I canbe a podcaster, but it's your
voice, your personality, thatdraws people to you.
It's my voice.
It can share our expertise.
We can speak.
We can just have a wonderfultime.
So, whatever it is that you'vebeen doing your whole life, if
(21:43):
you were working in corporateAmerica, if you were an educator
, you loved working with kids.
What is it that now you can doto help those kids Find that
passion?
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, that makes such a difference, Tuning into that
and I know it's not alwaysobvious.
I know that sometimes we haveto do some digging to uncover
what that is.
Or maybe, if we do know, wedon't know what to do with that,
Like, oh I love doing X, but Idon't even know how I would
start doing that.
So I think that if we giveourselves a little grace, if we
(22:15):
say that this could be a newopportunity or adventure, if
we're open to what that couldbring because I think when we
start speaking about what wewant to do, I always find that
doors open in mysterious ways.
I think it's God or theuniverse or whatever you might
believe in, but I do believethat we can kind of ease into it
(22:38):
.
So it's not like we have toknow all of the answers.
And you're such a great exampleof this, Antoinette, of how you
had this passion, how you loveto write.
You said I love to write andyou took that passion and then
it was mixed with someinteresting circumstances or
serendipity or meant to be,where you met this woman who was
like and you're right, and thatjust kind of started it off.
(23:01):
But you didn't know at the timethat it was going to unfold in
this way.
You just said this is somethingI love to do.
So to your point, yes, when wecan key in on whatever that
thing is, that's a really greatlaunching off point for us, a
point of departure to justexplore.
And sometimes I think if we canexplore without expectations,
like I don't need to know haveall the I's dotted and the T's
(23:22):
crossed, I'm just going to becurious.
I think that that can lead toall kinds of things that we
might not have even expected.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
And Wendy, with the expansion because it's not new
but with the expansion of AI,you can it's amazing If you just
simply say you know what I loveto do, this, that and the other
you know, list out what youwant to do.
You give that to chat, gpt orany AI, and it will list out
hundreds of ideas that you never, ever, ever, thought of and you
(23:54):
go oh my God, what's?
A great example is there's aman who has a YouTube channel
and he grew up fatherless and heknew how hard it was to learn.
You know what it was like to bea man, whether it was tying a
tie or fixing a car, and hestarted a YouTube channel and
young men follow him, millionsof young men follow him, because
(24:17):
he's just doing everyday things.
Just for those that don't havea father or didn't grow up with
a father, because you know thisis a different world.
Like our kids don't know how to,how, to?
You know, change a light bulb,iron, a clothes, when the lights
go off and you got to go.
Remember we used to have fuseboxes.
Yes, right, because mygeneration, the boomers, we kind
of coddled our kids and thelights go off and you got to go.
Remember we used to have fuseboxes.
Yes, right, because mygeneration, the boomers, we kind
(24:40):
of coddled our kids, but someof us, who didn't like myself,
my son, started washing clothes,their own clothes when they
were eight.
Oh, my gosh, they washed theirclothes, folded their clothes,
anything.
Wow, they were eight years old.
Taya is 31.
Malik just turned 28.
I don't make their bed, I don'tfold, I don't do any of those.
I don't iron.
(25:01):
I taught them how to sew.
They know how to put a buttonon.
I love it.
These are things that we haveto teach, and I did a blog post.
Will your kids survive withoutsocial media?
Do they know how?
to hand wash a dish?
Or are they Turn that commonsense into something, whether
(25:23):
it's going to a local communitycenter, or why just teaching
young ladies how to do this,teaching young men how to do
that, or using social mediaTikTok, youtube, something, and
you know what, if you do whatyou love and love what you do,
success is inevitable.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
I love that quote and so true.
And that truly is aboutadopting that mindset, right,
that mindset of possibility ofvictory, whatever that means for
any of us, but that we can dowhatever that thing is, once we
at least get some inkling of anidea.
So I really like that.
I believe that we are so muchstronger and smarter and
(26:09):
accomplished than we often thinkwe are.
I don't think most of us giveourselves enough credit.
We talked about that a littlebit.
With regards to asking for whatwe think we're worth when it
comes to compensation, the themeof season six of the
Reinvention Rebels podcast isOwn your Awesome, and I would
(26:31):
love to know, antoinette, whatOwn your Awesome means to you as
it relates to reinventingyourself question.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
You're good, I love your podcasting skills.
Wow, wendy, wendy, wendy.
Oh, my God, you know what?
That's something I would reallyhave to contemplate Because,
like you said, we're alldifferent, we're all unique and
(27:04):
we've all grown up in differenttimes and different eras.
I grew up in the projects inNew York back in the 60s and 70s
, so my background, myupbringing, is completely
different from somebody thatgrew up in Delaware, suburbia,
wilmington, whatever.
That's a hard question.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Wendy, or it could just be.
What does own your awesome mean?
Generally I know, but you, youhear own your awesome.
What does that mean?
We?
Speaker 1 (27:27):
don't consider ourselves as being awesome,
right?
We don't.
We think that you know, becauseI grew up in the projects,
because I grew up in the city,because I grew you know all
these excuses to say that I'mnot awesome.
Because if you say you'reawesome, you're so conceited.
You think you that you thinkyou all that in a bag of chips
girl, of what you so conceited?
You think you that you thinkyou all that in a bag of chips
(27:49):
girl?
But we are all awesome.
We are all awesome when we'rewith our friends.
Like, I like to say, like whenwe're with our friends and we're
having, you know, just having aconversation, or when we're
family having conversation.
When is the time that peoplelisten to you?
When do they shut up and listento you, like that's your
awesomeness.
Whatever you're talking about,you know, and it could be
fashion, it could be food, itcould be knowledge, it could be
(28:10):
religion, it could be anything.
What is that?
You know that you're reallylike when I started podcasting,
when I teach others how topodcast and they want to know
what do I talk about?
Because this is a long game,right?
We don't this, don't, don'ttalk about it here, right?
We want to do this forever andever and ever.
So what is it that you can talkabout all day, every day?
That's your awesomeness.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I love that, that we all have something, and it's
that thing that we naturallytalk about, that we naturally
gravitate to.
And I think that when we can doa better job as women,
especially of shining a light onourselves, Because I've noticed
that men they seem to much moreeasily be like well, you know,
I'm pretty amazing.
You know how they are.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
They're like like like you don't think so you know
, they just kind of assume like,yeah, who cares?
Like really Right, that's wherewe have football and sports and
soccer.
It's like one team is betterthan the other.
But what makes you individualawesome?
Can you kick well?
Do you find great bargains?
Are you a thriftinista?
I mean, I love being athriftinista and I love finding
(29:18):
things that was inexpensive.
I loved finding food that wasat small restaurants.
What is it that you love to doand turn that passion into a
profit you can do?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
it.
You can do it, we are doing it.
Right, we're figuring it out,we figured it out and you know,
just like you, I continue toevolve and get more clarity and
figure things out.
But, right, if we can do it,there's no reason anyone else
can't in their own way.
They might not be our way,they're going to be doing their
own thing.
Where they shine, where theyfigure out, they're awesome.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
But absolutely any of us can figure it out if we
decide we want to Right, and ifwe do it in a way that it's not
you're not trying to bebraggadocious about it, right?
You're doing it because A it'ssomething you really like doing.
And my thing it's about thegive back.
Who is going to be gettingsomething from what you're
(30:15):
giving?
It's all about the give back.
That's what I said.
I want the dash in between tobe the most important.
I was born in 1961.
I'm not sure when I'll leavethis world, but when you say
Antoinette, blake or Toni Crosspre-wedding and Wendy, when a
new client comes to me and saysyou know what, antoinette, I've
been following you, I love whatyou do, that is my reward.
(30:37):
That is more rewarding.
Yeah, I'd love the money, butthe reward of someone saying I
like what you're doing, I'vebeen watching you, it's an
amazing feeling, because we wantthat from our kids, right?
We want our kids to grow up andbe good people and they can
only do that from what they'reseeing, right?
James Baldwin has a quote aboutyou know, kids may not listen
(31:01):
to you, but they'll never failto imitate you right, that is so
true, so true.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
So we can all set the example and figure things out,
whatever that might be.
As we're wrapping up, I have toask you one more question, and
that is if you had to givelisteners one piece of advice
actually, you've already giventhem a lot but if you had to
boil it down to one piece ofadvice about reinventing
(31:28):
yourself and becomingunapologetic Because I talk a
lot about how reinvention rebelsare unapologetic They've given
themselves permission to go forit on their terms about
reinventing and becomingunapologetic about what you want
.
In midlife, that you would, ormidlife or beyond, that you
(31:49):
would impart to our listeners.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
And Wendy, I've already given it.
So I'm thinking like I'mlooking around, going, okay,
what else do?
Cause I used to have likequotes all over, but I don't
like to have quotes all overbecause I like to come like from
the heart.
And I said it before and I'mgoing to say it again If you do
what you love and love what youdo, success is inevitable.
(32:12):
Now, there'll be some ups andthere'll be downs, there'll be
tears and there'll be heartbreak, but just keep moving, don't
let anybody stop you and don'tfeel like you have to hide your
shine.
Right, like grandma wants tosay, you know, if you hide your
light under a bushel, no one isever going to see it.
So let people know that you'rethere, you know.
(32:34):
Let them know that you'repassionate about what you're
doing, whether it's audio, youknow, visual, written, you know
whatever.
If it makes you happy, it'sgoing to make someone else happy
and don't worry about you know,especially in this world we're
talking about.
You know, we've got to go viral.
You got to have all thesefollowers.
No, if one person, if oneperson takes away something that
(32:59):
you have given, that's likeamazing, like amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Shine on, shine on.
We all can find our shine.
Beautifully put, antoinette.
I know that people who arelistening are saying where in
the world can I find Antoinette,how can I follow Antoinette,
how can I hear more ofAntoinette's sage wisdom and how
(33:25):
can I listen to her podcast?
So tell us about where peoplecan connect with you.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
I'm going to make it really easy.
My Linktree ID.
You just go to Linktree,forward, slash A Blake
Enterprises.
All one word A BlakeEnterprises.
There are the links to my blog,my podcast, my social media
platforms, my books, you knowall is there.
(33:51):
So linktreeid, linktree,forward, slash ablakeenterprises
.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Perfect, and that will be in the show notes or
Google Delaware.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Blogger.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Right or Google you or Google you.
So people can Google Delawareblogger or they can go to the
show notes, where we have a linkdirectly to Abe Lake
Enterprises on your link tree.
Antoinette, I cannot thank youenough for gracing me with your
presence today, for sharing yourinsights and wisdom, for
(34:25):
helping us understand yourReinvention Rebel journey and
how it's evolved and how youstill continue to grow.
Thank you for all of that.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
And Wendy.
Again, I want to thank you forwhat you're doing providing a
platform for other ReinventionRebels, because it's a safe
space.
I love your style and I justwishing you, you know, major,
major success.
So thank you again.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Thank you.
This was awesome and I can'twait for the next time we get to
connect and be on each other'spodcast.
So thank, you Thank you.
(35:12):
I love this episode withAntoinette Blake, and one of the
things that I really tuned intowas this idea of do what you
love and love what you do.
Life is so short.
We are up against so manydifferent things and we know
it's pretty complicated,especially in midlife when we
didn't see a lot of thingscoming and we're juggling a
(35:33):
whole lot.
So we need to find things thathelp us shine, that light us up,
that we are passionate about,and she talked about finding
those things that you arepassionate about.
I want to tell you about a freegift.
That is all for you.
It's my list of 100 ideas toreinvent yourself in midlife.
If you're struggling to figureout, well, how can I do what
(35:57):
Antoinette's doing, but in myown way, how can I find
something I'm so passionateabout, the way she's passionate
about blogging and podcasting,you will love this list.
It's ideas to help launch youinto something that you love as
much as she loves podcasting andblogging, as much as I love
(36:17):
podcasting.
Details on the show notes asimple click to download the
list and expand your thinkingabout what's possible in midlife
.
And, by the way, don't forgetabout that very special offer
for this episode only for MagicMind.
You can get three bottles forfree.
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(36:38):
Details are in the show notes.
It's helped me so much and I'dlove for you to give it a try.
I can't wait to see you backhere for the next episode of the
Reinvention Rebels podcast injust a couple of weeks.
Let's keep getting inspired,y'all.
Until next time, keep shiningyour light.
(36:58):
Rebels, the world needs you andall that you have to offer.
If you do what you love and love what you do,
success is inevitable.
Now there'll be some ups andthere'll be downs, there'll be
tears and there'll be heartbreak, but just keep moving.
Don't let anybody stop you anddon't feel like you have to hide
your shine.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Welcome to Reinvention Rebels Stories of
brave and unapologetic women, 50to 90 years young, who have
boldly reinvented life on theirown terms to find new purpose
and possibilities.
I'm your host, wendy Battles.
I need to kick your fears tothe curb, do it scared and step
(00:49):
into who you are meant to be inmidlife and beyond.
These amazing women, thesereinvention rebels, can help
light your reinvention path.
Come join us and let's getinspired together.
Hey everybody, welcome toanother episode of the
(01:19):
Reinvention Rebels podcast.
I am your host, wendy.
I am so excited you are here.
If you are a newbie listener tothe podcast, welcome aboard.
This is the place to come forinformation and a ton of
inspiration about reinventingourselves in midlife and beyond
(01:40):
and what's possible, which ispretty much anything.
Okay, so I'm not going to be anOlympic athlete, so not that
kind of possibility, but prettymuch anything else is on the
table.
There are endless possibilitiesfor what we can do and be and
the ways we can step into thelight, take center stage and
(02:02):
play a starring role in midlifeand beyond in new and bold and
inspiring ways.
So if you are looking forinspiration, motivation, ideas,
the oomph to get moving, this isthe place to be, and I'm really
(02:23):
psyched that you're here Today.
I am talking to AntoinetteBlake and you're going to meet
her in just a couple of moments.
She started over in her 60s.
She's going to talk about howthat unfolded, what she did,
what she learned and somesuggestions for all of us about
how we can get into action evenwhen we're faced with
(02:47):
circumstances that are not whatwe want, but we have to move
forward in new ways.
So lots of inspiration abouthow we can all try these ideas
on for size and apply them inour own life, no matter where we
are in the reinvention cycle.
In this case, it's really allabout Antoinette's career and
what happened when she had adead end.
(03:09):
So I think you're going to findit really inspiring.
But first, you know how Oprahhas her favorite things.
Well, so do I, and one of myfavorite things that helps me
feel my best is Magic Mind.
What's Magic Mind?
It's a mental performance shotI drink along with my coffee in
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(03:33):
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I liked it so much I started tocall it my little green elixir.
It's just a couple of ouncesand I love that.
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When Magic Mind asked me tobecome an ambassador, I was all
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see one.
Plus, as a post-menopausalmidlife woman, I know the
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Magic Mind is part of my dailytoolkit to help vanquish brain
fog and feel my best Rebels.
I'd love for you to give MagicMind a spin and see how it helps
(04:18):
you feel calm, focused andready to tackle your busy days.
For this episode, only when youuse the unique link in the show
notes, you can subscribe andtry MagicMind for free.
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(04:40):
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That's R-E-B-E-L-S-T-R-I-A-L toscore this deal.
Details are in the show notes.
(05:18):
So let's get on with thisfantastic conversation with the
inspiring Antoinette Blake.
What happens when you're forcedout of your job, can't find
another one and decide to bet onyourself?
How do you successfullyreinvent yourself as a full-time
entrepreneur when it's onlybeen your side hustle, and how
do you shift your mindset tocharge what you deserve and know
your worth?
These are some of the questionswe'll be discussing with my
(05:38):
guest today, antoinette Blake.
At 62, this reinvention rebel,is living on purpose, having
reinvented herself in new,challenging and rewarding ways.
Many know Antoinette as themulti-award winning Delaware
blogger.
She is also a podcast host,vlogger, author, social media
(05:59):
strategist, educator, coach andprofessional speaker.
Strategist, educator, coach andprofessional speaker.
Antoinette is the contentcreator of the Dell Blogger blog
and hosts not one but twopodcasts.
Out and About with Antoinetteand the Delaware Blogger podcast
.
As the owner of A BlakeEnterprises social media
(06:21):
marketing and consulting, sheworks with industry leaders,
business owners andentrepreneurs, assisting them
with strategies to help thembroaden their brand and expand
their exposure online.
She is talented and oh sofabulous.
Antoinette Blake, welcome tothe Reinvention Rebels guest
(06:41):
chair.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Wendy, thank you so very much for sharing your
platform with not only me, butwith some fantabulous women on
your show.
I'm so excited to be here,thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I am so excited that you're here and before we delve
into your Reinvention Rebeljourney, I have to tell the
audience how we met.
It was very serendipitous thatback in September last fall, we
were together at an event forthe Great Dames Organization,
(07:16):
which is this really amazingorganization that is based in
the Philadelphia area, and youwere there for the book launch
because one of your good friendswas featured in the book, along
with me and many other amazingwomen, and we just connected and
it was so cool.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Do you know what's so exciting with social media?
You know we feel like we knoweach other, but when we
literally see each other inperson, the connection is
phenomenal.
It's like oh my God, I've beenfollowing person.
The connection is phenomenal.
It's like oh my God, I've beenfollowing you, now I meet you,
so we're all like rock stars,right?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
We are, we are.
And I remember that I wasalready following you on
LinkedIn and had actuallylistened to your podcast and
then I was like I kind of knowher but I don't, but now I
really do, so it was all kindsof exciting and then I also had
the pleasure of being on one ofyour amazing podcasts.
So I'm so happy that I canreturn the favor and we get the
(08:14):
benefit of hearing about yourreinvention journey, and I want
to start by talking a little bitabout that.
I know that we all reinvent fordifferent reasons and in
different ways, and yourparticular story, antoinette, is
really born out of necessity.
Can you tell us about thecircumstances that launched your
(08:37):
reinvention journey?
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Yes, Wendy, thank you .
Who would have ever thunk?
You know, after graduating fromDelaware State College at the
time, Delaware State Universitynow, I did a little time in
elementary school because Ireceived my BS degree in
elementary education, but themoney was terrible back in the
80s.
It's still that way now.
(09:00):
But I actually was hired by IBMwhile I was living in White
Plains, New York.
And, like I said, who wouldhave thunk?
You know, you go into a careeryou think you're going to stay
there forever.
You're going to leave, you'regoing to retire with the gold
watch, you know, pre-millennial,you know, we just figured.
(09:20):
But after not one layoff but twolayoffs, I was like, oh my gosh
, I've not interviewed for a jobin 32 years.
Like I'm 55.
What do I do?
And, Wendy, let me tell you, Iliterally applied for so many
positions using LinkedIn andusing contacts and I never got a
(09:46):
call back.
And one day I was like that'strying to tell me that I don't
need a job, I don't need to do anine to five.
But I didn't just say hey, putit in his hands and let it go.
I had to make some decisions.
We had to sell the bigMcMansion right, Because the
bills were too much, you know,we sold the house, we downsized
(10:08):
and I started back in 2012.
I actually started my first blog, which was DedevaDealscom, so I
was reinventing myself before Ieven got to.
So that was like the catalyst,because I loved writing as a
teacher, as an educator, and Ialso loved connecting with other
(10:29):
women.
And there were so many freeevents at that time in the state
of Delaware that I wouldliterally just go like early
Saturday, Friday, whatever,because I wasn't really, you
know, like the kids were, mysons were grown, my husband and
I had been married for like Ithink, almost 25, 30 years.
So I started going to eventsand I started blogging about
(10:49):
them and I was discovered Ialways use air quotes discovered
by a wonderful woman, Ronnie.
At the time, Ronnie Cohen wasthe executive director of the
DFLI, which is DelawareFinancial Literacy Institute,
director of the DFLI, which isDelaware Financial Literacy
(11:09):
Institute, and they presentedall kinds of courses, free
courses for people that werelooking to make some changes in
their lives, reinvent their life, and this was all free.
Like I said, this was the early2000s and Ronnie had read a blog
post that I had written abouttheir annual event and she was
blown away.
That was her words.
She was blown away, and, tomake the story longer than it
(11:30):
needs to be, I was discovered asa blogger and so I started and
I said you know what I got to dothis?
And she said do you want toteach others how to do it?
And when she said teach what?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You're like, yes, i's it, I do that.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
But I was still working.
But I, you know, I was doingthis out of love.
And one day, my friend I'llnever forget, she said
Antoinette, you've got to getpaid for this, you really do.
You're just giving awayinformation.
And I'm like you know what,lisa, I do.
So I left work early.
I had a three hour commute towork was so bad.
And I left work early and Iregistered a Blake Enterprises
(12:09):
and that was the cat.
That was 2015.
And so I took what I was doingand I started monetizing it,
whether it was blogging orteaching others how to blog,
because I started out doing itfree in local libraries and I
said okay.
And then when I, when thelayoff hit, I said you got to do
this in a way that you're goingto earn some money.
(12:31):
And I didn't know anythingabout social media at the time.
It was called the Facebook,anything about social media At
the time it was called theFacebook.
But I knew I loved working withwomen of a particular age who
had a business, like they've hadbusinesses, and they were used
to advertising on newspapers andmagazines and flyers.
And now social media had comein and just changed the game.
(12:54):
So I felt that if I could do.
If I could help them marketthemselves on social media
Facebook, instagram, whateverthe case was then I can make
some money and I can help them.
And so that was the beginningof Able Lake Enterprises, and
I'm still.
I started out with maybe one ortwo clients.
(13:15):
Now I'm looking here.
I'm like I can't take any moreclients.
I'm still teaching, I'mpodcasting and, thanks to you,
I'm going to drop a littlesecret to you today, because
when we met I love the wholeconcept, the reinvention rebels,
and I was like I did that withDEDVDealscom, fashion Inforthen
(13:35):
after 50.
I said I'm not competing withthe millennials and the Gen X, a
, b, c, y, z.
I am seasoned, so let me gearmy blog and my podcast to the
boomers and beyond.
So, thanks to you, 2024,.
I said I'm now going to shiv itand not try to be it for
(13:59):
everybody even though some ofthem are millennials.
But now my Saturday blog, theDelaware blog, where I teach
blogging.
It's going to be towardsboomers.
I love it.
Every Wednesday on my blog,delbloggercom, I have wellness
Wednesday, so I'm providinghealth and wellness things for
my boomers.
So thank you, wendy, for cominginto my life and having me say,
(14:23):
hey, you know what?
Because I can't compete.
You know, the kids need to beinfluencers if they just go to
the grocery store and drink asoda, right?
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Right, exactly, exactly.
But there's such an audience,though.
That's such a great idea, and Ithink it's so important, as an
entrepreneur just like yourself,that we really have this focus
and that we know who ouraudience is and when we can
narrow it down.
It's just easier to find themand connect with them, not to
mention people of a certain ageoften could probably use a
(14:50):
little more expertise, coaching,ideas about really leveraging
social media, as you're talkingabout.
So I love this, and part ofwhat I hear you talking about,
antoinette, is how you haveevolved in your reinvention
journey.
You didn't know all the answersat the beginning.
You had already started, butthen you took this leap of faith
(15:13):
when you got laid off, but evensince then, you've continued to
get clarity, to refine, tobuild new skills, to get clear
about your audience, and I thinkso much of that is a part of us
evolving that we can have areinvention, basically, as
you're saying, within areinvention, as we get clearer
(15:37):
about things.
I know that when we had ourlittle pre-interview chat, we
were talking about this idea ofdoing a side hustle and turning
it into a full-time gig, and I'mreally curious about what has
been the biggest lesson thatyou've learned about what it
takes to reinvent yourself anddo it in a way where you feel
(16:00):
like you are charging your ownworth, what you've identified as
your worth, because I think wecan easily lowball ourselves.
It's so easy to do that.
So how have you been able tomake that shift and do that in
your business?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Wendy, I have not.
I don't want to say I wish Ihad of, but, as we both know,
delaware is a unique state.
You're either in the clique oryou're not right.
I've never been a follower,I've never been like I need to
be a part of my legacy, thelegacy that I leave.
(16:39):
That dash in between it's goingto be greater than the money
that I've ever received orcharged.
Yes, I could probably charge alot more, but then two things
they would expect more and I'mnot looking to be busting myself
all day, every day, and myclients are the ones that need
(17:04):
my assistance.
They don't have the marketingbudget and I'm not doing this
for the money anymore.
My husband is now retired fullpension.
You know social security.
I'm retired social security.
So, if most of the people thatknow social security, when they
add up your numbers, you canonly make a certain amount right
(17:24):
, and you can go above that.
So I have, or I should have,charged more and taken less
clients and I used to cry aboutit Like I can, I can and as a
woman, we like, oh, we can'tovercharge, but when I lay head
to pillow, wendy, I do it with aclean conscious.
I'm happy with what I'm charging.
(17:45):
Is it a lot?
No, but I'm doing something forothers that is helping them in
the long run, and then my legacywill be one.
You know Antoinette reallystepped in and you know she
really helped me out and youknow she didn't charge me a
whole lot and I'm comfortable.
But for those that are youngeror are just starting out in
(18:07):
entrepreneurship or they're justreinventing themselves, what
you said is charge your worth,ask for more and take less
clients.
If that works for you, for meI'm still very comfortable in
what I charge.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I like how you've been able to identify that your
mission is to be of service toothers and that you lead with
that as your legacy.
And then you also figured itout.
You said it's really not asimportant as that satisfaction I
get from seeing people shine,from seeing my clients really
(18:42):
hit a home run, and I think thatthat's so much of our evolution
.
I know, back in the day we'relike I need more money, I need
more money.
And then you get to a certainpoint and you're like that's not
as important as other things,and so I appreciate that.
But I think you're right we justdon't often value ourselves
enough.
We're afraid to ask for more,whether it's at a job that we're
(19:03):
offered and negotiating, or webreak it on our own and we're
trying to figure it out.
So it takes some doing, I think, to kind of decide yes, I'm
worth it.
So what do you think is reallykey to people developing that
mindset, that mindset of being areinvention rebel where I'm
worth it.
So what do you think is reallykey to people developing that
mindset, that mindset of being areinvention rebel, where I'm
going to kind of go for it andfollow my dreams and trust that
(19:26):
it's going to work out.
Do you have any sage advice forour listeners who are thinking?
You know, I hear Antoinette'sstory.
I love how things unfolded forher and she found her path.
I'm not sure what mine is yet.
How can I develop my mindset?
What would you say to that?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
That's a really, really good question, Wendy,
because in today's environment,especially with social media, we
can have the attention spanthat less of a goldfish.
So we're jumping from here tohere, to here to here and the
term passion.
You know we throw that around,but that is what's going to wake
you up every morning and putyou to sleep every night.
(20:05):
I do not.
I truly do not believe that.
God put us on this earth towork hard for years, and years
and years and then die.
I saw that at IBM.
I saw that in corporate Americaexecutives working 30, 40 years
.
Sometimes you'd come into theoffice the next day and they
were slumped over their deskbecause they had a heart attack
and died.
That was the reality then.
(20:26):
I love the generation now.
They know that they needself-care, they need mental
wellness, they need to take careof themselves, because you know
what that job's going to befilled.
So, to answer your question,most of us who are reinventing
ourselves has done something foran extended period of time.
(20:47):
We can pivot or shiv it.
You know you love to talk, Ilove to talk.
Podcasting is a perfect mediumfor us, right?
Yes?
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yes, it is, you know it yes.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
So if you want to start a podcast, if you want to
start a blog, if you want tohelp others you know, I know if
you've got bills, you want tomake sure you get paid, but what
is that that you've alwayswanted to do?
Can you make that work foryourself?
Yes, you can.
I just think that we're allunique.
(21:21):
We can do the same job.
You can be a podcaster, I canbe a podcaster, but it's your
voice, your personality, thatdraws people to you.
It's my voice.
It can share our expertise.
We can speak.
We can just have a wonderfultime.
So, whatever it is that you'vebeen doing your whole life, if
(21:43):
you were working in corporateAmerica, if you were an educator
, you loved working with kids.
What is it that now you can doto help those kids Find that
passion?
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, that makes such a difference, Tuning into that
and I know it's not alwaysobvious.
I know that sometimes we haveto do some digging to uncover
what that is.
Or maybe, if we do know, wedon't know what to do with that,
Like, oh I love doing X, but Idon't even know how I would
start doing that.
So I think that if we giveourselves a little grace, if we
(22:15):
say that this could be a newopportunity or adventure, if
we're open to what that couldbring because I think when we
start speaking about what wewant to do, I always find that
doors open in mysterious ways.
I think it's God or theuniverse or whatever you might
believe in, but I do believethat we can kind of ease into it
(22:38):
.
So it's not like we have toknow all of the answers.
And you're such a great exampleof this, Antoinette, of how you
had this passion, how you loveto write.
You said I love to write andyou took that passion and then
it was mixed with someinteresting circumstances or
serendipity or meant to be,where you met this woman who was
like and you're right, and thatjust kind of started it off.
(23:01):
But you didn't know at the timethat it was going to unfold in
this way.
You just said this is somethingI love to do.
So to your point, yes, when wecan key in on whatever that
thing is, that's a really greatlaunching off point for us, a
point of departure to justexplore.
And sometimes I think if we canexplore without expectations,
like I don't need to know haveall the I's dotted and the T's
(23:22):
crossed, I'm just going to becurious.
I think that that can lead toall kinds of things that we
might not have even expected.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
And Wendy, with the expansion because it's not new
but with the expansion of AI,you can it's amazing If you just
simply say you know what I loveto do, this, that and the other
you know, list out what youwant to do.
You give that to chat, gpt orany AI, and it will list out
hundreds of ideas that you never, ever, ever, thought of and you
(23:54):
go oh my God, what's?
A great example is there's aman who has a YouTube channel
and he grew up fatherless and heknew how hard it was to learn.
You know what it was like to bea man, whether it was tying a
tie or fixing a car, and hestarted a YouTube channel and
young men follow him, millionsof young men follow him, because
(24:17):
he's just doing everyday things.
Just for those that don't havea father or didn't grow up with
a father, because you know thisis a different world.
Like our kids don't know how to,how, to?
You know, change a light bulb,iron, a clothes, when the lights
go off and you got to go.
Remember we used to have fuseboxes.
Yes, right, because mygeneration, the boomers, we kind
of coddled our kids and thelights go off and you got to go.
Remember we used to have fuseboxes.
Yes, right, because mygeneration, the boomers, we kind
(24:40):
of coddled our kids, but someof us, who didn't like myself,
my son, started washing clothes,their own clothes when they
were eight.
Oh, my gosh, they washed theirclothes, folded their clothes,
anything.
Wow, they were eight years old.
Taya is 31.
Malik just turned 28.
I don't make their bed, I don'tfold, I don't do any of those.
I don't iron.
(25:01):
I taught them how to sew.
They know how to put a buttonon.
I love it.
These are things that we haveto teach, and I did a blog post.
Will your kids survive withoutsocial media?
Do they know how?
to hand wash a dish?
Or are they Turn that commonsense into something, whether
(25:23):
it's going to a local communitycenter, or why just teaching
young ladies how to do this,teaching young men how to do
that, or using social mediaTikTok, youtube, something, and
you know what, if you do whatyou love and love what you do,
success is inevitable.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
I love that quote and so true.
And that truly is aboutadopting that mindset, right,
that mindset of possibility ofvictory, whatever that means for
any of us, but that we can dowhatever that thing is, once we
at least get some inkling of anidea.
So I really like that.
I believe that we are so muchstronger and smarter and
(26:09):
accomplished than we often thinkwe are.
I don't think most of us giveourselves enough credit.
We talked about that a littlebit.
With regards to asking for whatwe think we're worth when it
comes to compensation, the themeof season six of the
Reinvention Rebels podcast isOwn your Awesome, and I would
(26:31):
love to know, antoinette, whatOwn your Awesome means to you as
it relates to reinventingyourself question.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
You're good, I love your podcasting skills.
Wow, wendy, wendy, wendy.
Oh, my God, you know what?
That's something I would reallyhave to contemplate Because,
like you said, we're alldifferent, we're all unique and
(27:04):
we've all grown up in differenttimes and different eras.
I grew up in the projects inNew York back in the 60s and 70s
, so my background, myupbringing, is completely
different from somebody thatgrew up in Delaware, suburbia,
wilmington, whatever.
That's a hard question.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Wendy, or it could just be.
What does own your awesome mean?
Generally I know, but you, youhear own your awesome.
What does that mean?
We?
Speaker 1 (27:27):
don't consider ourselves as being awesome,
right?
We don't.
We think that you know, becauseI grew up in the projects,
because I grew up in the city,because I grew you know all
these excuses to say that I'mnot awesome.
Because if you say you'reawesome, you're so conceited.
You think you that you thinkyou all that in a bag of chips
girl, of what you so conceited?
You think you that you thinkyou all that in a bag of chips
(27:49):
girl?
But we are all awesome.
We are all awesome when we'rewith our friends.
Like, I like to say, like whenwe're with our friends and we're
having, you know, just having aconversation, or when we're
family having conversation.
When is the time that peoplelisten to you?
When do they shut up and listento you, like that's your
awesomeness.
Whatever you're talking about,you know, and it could be
fashion, it could be food, itcould be knowledge, it could be
(28:10):
religion, it could be anything.
What is that?
You know that you're reallylike when I started podcasting,
when I teach others how topodcast and they want to know
what do I talk about?
Because this is a long game,right?
We don't this, don't, don'ttalk about it here, right?
We want to do this forever andever and ever.
So what is it that you can talkabout all day, every day?
That's your awesomeness.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I love that, that we all have something, and it's
that thing that we naturallytalk about, that we naturally
gravitate to.
And I think that when we can doa better job as women,
especially of shining a light onourselves, Because I've noticed
that men they seem to much moreeasily be like well, you know,
I'm pretty amazing.
You know how they are.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
They're like like like you don't think so you know
, they just kind of assume like,yeah, who cares?
Like really Right, that's wherewe have football and sports and
soccer.
It's like one team is betterthan the other.
But what makes you individualawesome?
Can you kick well?
Do you find great bargains?
Are you a thriftinista?
I mean, I love being athriftinista and I love finding
(29:18):
things that was inexpensive.
I loved finding food that wasat small restaurants.
What is it that you love to doand turn that passion into a
profit you can do?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
it.
You can do it, we are doing it.
Right, we're figuring it out,we figured it out and you know,
just like you, I continue toevolve and get more clarity and
figure things out.
But, right, if we can do it,there's no reason anyone else
can't in their own way.
They might not be our way,they're going to be doing their
own thing.
Where they shine, where theyfigure out, they're awesome.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
But absolutely any of us can figure it out if we
decide we want to Right, and ifwe do it in a way that it's not
you're not trying to bebraggadocious about it, right?
You're doing it because A it'ssomething you really like doing.
And my thing it's about thegive back.
Who is going to be gettingsomething from what you're
(30:15):
giving?
It's all about the give back.
That's what I said.
I want the dash in between tobe the most important.
I was born in 1961.
I'm not sure when I'll leavethis world, but when you say
Antoinette, blake or Toni Crosspre-wedding and Wendy, when a
new client comes to me and saysyou know what, antoinette, I've
been following you, I love whatyou do, that is my reward.
(30:37):
That is more rewarding.
Yeah, I'd love the money, butthe reward of someone saying I
like what you're doing, I'vebeen watching you, it's an
amazing feeling, because we wantthat from our kids, right?
We want our kids to grow up andbe good people and they can
only do that from what they'reseeing, right?
James Baldwin has a quote aboutyou know, kids may not listen
(31:01):
to you, but they'll never failto imitate you right, that is so
true, so true.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
So we can all set the example and figure things out,
whatever that might be.
As we're wrapping up, I have toask you one more question, and
that is if you had to givelisteners one piece of advice
actually, you've already giventhem a lot but if you had to
boil it down to one piece ofadvice about reinventing
(31:28):
yourself and becomingunapologetic Because I talk a
lot about how reinvention rebelsare unapologetic They've given
themselves permission to go forit on their terms about
reinventing and becomingunapologetic about what you want
.
In midlife, that you would, ormidlife or beyond, that you
(31:49):
would impart to our listeners.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
And Wendy, I've already given it.
So I'm thinking like I'mlooking around, going, okay,
what else do?
Cause I used to have likequotes all over, but I don't
like to have quotes all overbecause I like to come like from
the heart.
And I said it before and I'mgoing to say it again If you do
what you love and love what youdo, success is inevitable.
(32:12):
Now, there'll be some ups andthere'll be downs, there'll be
tears and there'll be heartbreak, but just keep moving, don't
let anybody stop you and don'tfeel like you have to hide your
shine.
Right, like grandma wants tosay, you know, if you hide your
light under a bushel, no one isever going to see it.
So let people know that you'rethere, you know.
(32:34):
Let them know that you'repassionate about what you're
doing, whether it's audio, youknow, visual, written, you know
whatever.
If it makes you happy, it'sgoing to make someone else happy
and don't worry about you know,especially in this world we're
talking about.
You know, we've got to go viral.
You got to have all thesefollowers.
No, if one person, if oneperson takes away something that
(32:59):
you have given, that's likeamazing, like amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Shine on, shine on.
We all can find our shine.
Beautifully put, antoinette.
I know that people who arelistening are saying where in
the world can I find Antoinette,how can I follow Antoinette,
how can I hear more ofAntoinette's sage wisdom and how
(33:25):
can I listen to her podcast?
So tell us about where peoplecan connect with you.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
I'm going to make it really easy.
My Linktree ID.
You just go to Linktree,forward, slash A Blake
Enterprises.
All one word A BlakeEnterprises.
There are the links to my blog,my podcast, my social media
platforms, my books, you knowall is there.
(33:51):
So linktreeid, linktree,forward, slash ablakeenterprises
.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Perfect, and that will be in the show notes or
Google Delaware.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Blogger.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Right or Google you or Google you.
So people can Google Delawareblogger or they can go to the
show notes, where we have a linkdirectly to Abe Lake
Enterprises on your link tree.
Antoinette, I cannot thank youenough for gracing me with your
presence today, for sharing yourinsights and wisdom, for
(34:25):
helping us understand yourReinvention Rebel journey and
how it's evolved and how youstill continue to grow.
Thank you for all of that.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
And Wendy.
Again, I want to thank you forwhat you're doing providing a
platform for other ReinventionRebels, because it's a safe
space.
I love your style and I justwishing you, you know, major,
major success.
So thank you again.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Thank you.
This was awesome and I can'twait for the next time we get to
connect and be on each other'spodcast.
So thank, you Thank you.
(35:12):
I love this episode withAntoinette Blake, and one of the
things that I really tuned intowas this idea of do what you
love and love what you do.
Life is so short.
We are up against so manydifferent things and we know
it's pretty complicated,especially in midlife when we
didn't see a lot of thingscoming and we're juggling a
(35:33):
whole lot.
So we need to find things thathelp us shine, that light us up,
that we are passionate about,and she talked about finding
those things that you arepassionate about.
I want to tell you about a freegift.
That is all for you.
It's my list of 100 ideas toreinvent yourself in midlife.
If you're struggling to figureout, well, how can I do what
(35:57):
Antoinette's doing, but in myown way, how can I find
something I'm so passionateabout, the way she's passionate
about blogging and podcasting,you will love this list.
It's ideas to help launch youinto something that you love as
much as she loves podcasting andblogging, as much as I love
(36:17):
podcasting.
Details on the show notes asimple click to download the
list and expand your thinkingabout what's possible in midlife
.
And, by the way, don't forgetabout that very special offer
for this episode only for MagicMind.
You can get three bottles forfree.
You can check it all out.
(36:38):
Details are in the show notes.
It's helped me so much and I'dlove for you to give it a try.
I can't wait to see you backhere for the next episode of the
Reinvention Rebels podcast injust a couple of weeks.
Let's keep getting inspired,y'all.
Until next time, keep shiningyour light.
(36:58):
Rebels, the world needs you andall that you have to offer.
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